


you know what the fire nation does to people like me.

by lonelyheartsclub_com



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Airbender Ty Lee (Avatar), F/F, Lesbian Ty Lee (Avatar), i seriously projected here, no beta we die like lu ten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:01:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27332356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonelyheartsclub_com/pseuds/lonelyheartsclub_com
Summary: ty lee realises that she can bend. just not fire.
Relationships: Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 53
Collections: Fave atla fics





	you know what the fire nation does to people like me.

**Author's Note:**

> smth about mailee makes me emotional so here u go  
> tw // death in childbirth and genocide.

Ty Lee Kappatsu was in love with Mai Tenrei. She'd realised it when she was 15. But Fire Nation girls didn't like other girls like that. Fire Nation girls were supposed to please men and love them, too. But she knew she'd never love any man.

The day she'd realised, it was a less that normal day. She, Mai and Azula had been learning about the Air Nomad genocide and of course, Azula had laughed about it.

"They deserved it. Ty Lee, why are you crying? They rose against the Fire Nation, and they got cut down. It was what they deserved."

But Ty Lee was smart enough to know that the Air Nomads were pacifists and didn't have an army, and that the Fire Nation had advanced on them in the name of capturing the Avatar.

It was that day that Ty Lee had first Airbended. She had been in her chambers, tears streaming down her cheeks. She had swept her hands over the desk - she swore that was all she did - and air had come from her hands, pushing everything off the table and pouring ink everywhere. Then, she had fallen to her knees, panting heavily.

She was an Airbender.

The thought had never occurred to her. Her sisters were all Firebenders, and had the stereotypical Fire Nation black hair and golden or brown eyes. She was the odd one out but still managed to feel like she was part of a matching set. With her light brown hair and grey eyes. 

Light brown hair and grey eyes.

She had always just assumed she had taken after her mother, who had died in childbirth. Ty Lee was the youngest. She had killed her mother. It was her fault.

But Air Nomads had grey eyes, and Air Nomads had light brown hair. Was her mother an Air Nomad?

Ty Lee shook the thought out of her head. 

She had bigger things to worry about.

Like the fact that she was the last Airbender in all the 3 remaining Nations.

When she had tucked herself into bed that night, pulling the covers over herself tightly, tears had welled up in her eyes.

And she didn't stop them from falling.

Mai had knocked on her door, in her undergarments and nightwear. It was informal, but she knew Mai wouldn't care. 

"Ty Lee."

"Mai? What're you-" she sighed. And then she wrapped her arms around Ty Lee. She let out a soft gasp. Mai squeezed tighter.

"Don't you dare utter a word of any of this to anyone." She closed the door behind them.

She paused at the mess on the floor. She sighed and looked away.

"Look, Ty Lee. I know that what Azula said affected you. But have you considered why?"

"Uh, I have a heart?"

"I mean, look at yourself in the mirror. You don't have the normal black hair and golden eyes that are prominent in the Fire Nation. We may as well paint a blue arrow on your forehead, because you could pass pretty well for an Air Nomad," she hissed. Ty Lee knew what she was trying to say.

"All I'm saying is, have you ever...tried airbending? The other girls are passing around rumors that your mother was an Air Nomad, and I'm starting to think it's plausible."

"Mai…" Ty Lee knew in an instant that Mai wasn't there to grill her for answers.

She was there because she was concerned for Ty Lee. 

"I airbended before you got here. That mess on the floor over there? That's because I swept my hand over the desk and everything flew all over the place. Mai, I'm scared. You know what the Fire Nation does to people who are rumored to be Airbenders."

Ty Lee had tears in her eyes at this point. She could see that Mai could tell she was desperate.

Mai muttered something inaudible under her breath and then pulled Ty Lee in for another hug.

"I promise you, that's not gonna happen to you."

So Mai and Ty Lee stayed there, in the mess of Ty Lee's room, unspoken words between them.


End file.
